Be Smart – Be Fit – Be Yourself

May 12, 2006

Charlotte Smith runs defensive drills with students at T.C Howe Academy in Indianapolis.

Three members of the Indiana Fever visited a local Indianapolis school on Friday, to talk to students about nutrition and fitness. The Be Smart – Be Fit – Be Yourself Tipoff Clinic, presented by Community Health Network, was a part of the Fever’s involvement in the WNBA’s Week of Caring. Linda Frohlich, K.B. Sharp, and Charlotte Smith went to T.C. Howe Academy, and spoke with the sixth-grade class. Not only did students sit and listen to the players talk, but they performed exercises and drills with them, as well.

The class with divided into three groups, and each station was run by one of the Fever players. Frohlich did stretching and strengthening exercises with the students.

“We’re going to do some strengthening exercises so you can knock somebody around on the court,” Frohlich said with a smile.
Sharp was in charge of offensive drills as well as ballhandling. Each student was handed a ball, and they dribbled differently according to Sharp’s command. She taught them how to do a cross-over, and dribble behind their backs among other dribbling techniques.

As for defense, Smith conducted an army drill sergeant type of session as she barked commands, and the students followed her every direction. It wasn’t all business in Smith’s group, however, as she later had fun quizzing the students on their WNBA knowledge. Howe Academy sixth-grader Anthony Mansfield answered one of Smith’s quiz questions correctly when he answered, “Tamika Catchings” as the 2005 Defensive Player of the Year. At the end of her session, Smith challenged the students to a game of one-on-one.

The players’ visit ended after every six-grader had been through the three stations. They came together as a group, and Smith talked to them about the importance of being “coachable” on and off the court. She also told them how important it is to be respectful. As for her advice on nutrition, “My mom always told me you only have one body, if you don’t take care of it no one else will,” she said.